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M. C. MESSLER Oct CUSHIONING INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES I O l Original Filed 0G12. 29, 1927 hat?? Z374 Rein-tied Oce 27, 1931 i KATIE c, massima, or

PATENT Re.V 18,237

oFFIcE CUSHIONING INSOLE FOB yBOOTS AND.SHOES A Originello. 1,807,841, dated May. 26, 1931, Bendita/229,637, led October 29, 1927.V Application for reissue filed August 25,

This invention relates to a cushioning in-' sole for bootsand shoes which can .be built in as a art of the shoe or which may be nserted t erein.

The invention has for its-object to provide a novelinsole, which can be used in shoes vof ordinary or standard makes as a cushion for the foot for its entire length and as a support,y Y,

I for the arches of the foot.

To this-end, the cushioning insole is provided with aheel, shank, ball and 4forepart ofy spongel or like soft rubber, with the heel,

sha-nk and ball portions of substantial thickness and with theforepart of less thickness which gradually tapers from near the ball portion to the end of the toe portion.

The sponge rubber insole ma backing member, preferably of kid or like thin, flexible leather which is secured tothe'- up er surface of the sponge rubber insole,

' an when the latter is to be built into a welt less thickness than, the intermediate portion and to constitute. the latter a supporting member for the'lmtatarsal arch of the foot as will be described. v

The particulark features of the invention will be pointed out inthe claims at the end of this specioatiom Fig. 1 represents in side elevation and sec'- tion a' welt shoe having built therein ya cush` ioning insole embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the insole shown in rig. `1 beforebeing built into the shoe; l y Fig. 3, a plan'vievvl of the insole shown in Fig..v2 Vinverted 5 tion thereof, said and preferably will be provided with a t in, flexible,

1931. Serial No. 559,252.:v

ig. 4,-aside elevation of a modified insole, an v Fig. l. Referring to the drawings, a represents the improved sponge rubber insole comprising a .rear portion 10 of substantialthickness and having substantially parallel, fiat upper and lower surfaces 12, 13, and a front portion 14 having a substantially flat upper surface 15v and a substantially longtapering lower surface 16, which extends rearwardly `from the Fig 5, a cross Section on'the line 5 5,

end of the toe portion 17 of theA insole to near il and preferably beyond a plane transversely of the insole, through the ball or widest porthe dotted line 19.

This tapered lower surface 16 at the longitudinal axis of the insole, represented by the dotted line 20, extends from the front edge of the insole to near the ball portion, and preferably, though notrnecessarily, may extend slightly beyond the transverse plane 19 and merge with thelower surface of therear portion 10 lin proximity to said transverse plane 19, and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 2O ofthe insole. Itis also pref-A erable but not requisite that the tapered lower surface is carried'rearwardly of the transverse plane 19 to merge with the bottom surface of the rear portion l0 at-the line 24 as shown in Fig. 3.

plane being indicated by By extending the taper of the front member on opposite sides of the long axis of the insole, the latter is provided with a ball portion having laterally tapering side portions 21 and an intermediate portion 22 of greater thickness and of substantially the same thickness as the shank and the heel parts of the rear portion 10 of the insole. The thicker intermediate part 22 of the ball portion is suiiciently narrow to permit it to serveas a support for the intermediate bones of the metatarsal arch, while the laterally tapered sides 21 of the ball portion permit the joints l of the big and'little toes to be supported at a lower level than the intermediate bones of the metatarsal arch. It should be clear, however, that the invenloo tion in its broadest aspect is not dependent on thev side taperings 21, 21 of Fi 3.

. ate ball portion 22 is of substantially the same thickness as the shank and heeelortions and is provided with a curved or substantially curved outline or edge 24 which extends rearwardly of the plane 19 through the widest part of the insole.

It will be observed that the insole is provided with a front member which extends from near the ball portion to the front end of the toe portion. As` shown in Fig. 3, this front member merges with the laterally tapering sides 21 of the ball portion. Preferably the tapered front member 14 extends from the front end of the toe portion beyond the transverse plane 19 through the widest portion of the insole, and gradually diminishes in thickness from the front extremity of the thicker intermediate part 22 of the ball portion to the front end of the insole.

As a result a shoe of standard or ordinary construction having a toe portion ofnormal or relatively limited height, and consequently of limited head room for-2the reception of the toes of the foot as now exists in the standard makes of shoes, may be provided with a cushion for the toes, without detrimental effects to the wearer of the shoe, such as crowding the toes and causing them to become heated and swollen, with resultant pressure upon the toe nails, with liability of roducing ingrowing nails, and attendant discomfort and danger to the wearer.

The cushioning rubber insole may and preferably will have applied to its upper surface a thin backing member 25 of kid leather or other suitable material, whichmay be affixed to said surface in any suitable manner, and when the insole is to be built into a welt shoe as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the backing member 25 is made wide enough toform side and end flaps 26, .which .are secured to the regular Ainsole 27 by the inseam stitches 28 which sew the upper 29 and welt 3() to the insole 27.

When the cushioning rubber insole a is to be inserted into the shoe, the flaps26 of the backing or coverin member 25 are omitted as represented in ig. 4. 1

v From the above description, it will be seen that a boot or shoe havin a. cushioning insole such as herein descri d may be worn with maximum comfort to the wearer, as'the foot is cushioned from toe to heel of the foot, and at the same time the arches are supported and held up in the desired manner, and these desirable results are obtained in a shoe of a toe ortion standard make and style having lscom ort or other soft and yielding material, such as crepe rubber may be used to advantage.

What I claim is:

1. A cushioning insole for boots and shoes composed of soft4 rubber and provided with heel and shank portions of substantial and uniform thickness, a front member of substantial length tapering from the front end of the toe portion to near a transverse plane through the insole at its widest portion, and a ball portion intermediate said tapering front member and said shank portion and having tapering sides extended rearwardly from saidtransverse plane and a center portion intermediate said tapering sides and of substantially the same thickness as the shank and heel portions, said center portion having on one surface a curved edge or outline at the rear of said transverse plane and formed by said front portion and said tapering sides.

2. A cushioning insole of soft rubber for boots and shoes provided with heel and shank portions of substantial and uniform thickness and a ball portion having a part thereof intermediate the side edges of the ball portion of substantially the same thickness as the shank and heel portions and having thinner side portions y tapering downward laterally away from said intermediate part and extended rearwardly1 of a plane transversely of the insole throng said intermediate part of said ball portion, said heel, shank and intermediate ball portions having normally substantially flat upper and lower surfaces, and being of substantially and uniform thickness to enable the heel portion to be substantially depressed by the heel of the foot to cushion the said heel, said shank portion conforming to and supportingthe longitudinal arch of the foot, when said heel portion is depressed.

3. A cushioning insole of soft rubber for boots and shoes provided with-heel and shank portion of substantial and uniform thickness and a ball portion having a part thereof intermediate the side edges of the ball portion of substantially the same thickness asy said shank and heel portions and having thinner side portions tapering downward laterall away from said intermediate part and exten ed rearwardly of a plane transversely of the insole throng said intermediate part of said ball portion and having a downward tapering part extended forward from the foremost end of the thicker intermediate part of said ball portion, said heel, shank and intermediate ball portions having substantiall flat upper and lower surfaces, and being o substantial and uniform thickness to enable the heel portion to be substantially depressed by the heel of the foot to cushion said heel, said shank portion conforming to and supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot, when said heel 5 portion is depressed.

Al. A cushioning insole of soft and compressible rubber for boots and shoes provided with heel and shank portions of substantial and uniform thickness and a ball portion hav' lo ing a part thereof of'substantially the same thickness as the shank and heel portions, said insole tapering from the intermediate part of the ball portion to reduced edges said heel and shank portions and a part o the ball portion normally having substantially fiat upper and lower surfaces, and being of sub stantial and uniform thickness to enable the heel portion to be substantially depressed by the heel of the foot to cushion the said heel,

said shank portion conforming toand supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot, when the heel portion is depressed.

5. A cushioning insole of soft and compressible rubber for boots and shoes provided with heel,'shank and'ball portions, the greater part of Which portions are of substantial and uniform thickness, and a front ortion eX- tending from the ball portion, t e forward portion of the insole tapering. from the thick part of said ball portionvto reduced edges, sai-d heel, shank, and thick ball portions normally having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces and being of substantial and uniform thickness to enable the heel portion to be sub- 3.3 stantially depressed by the heel of the foot to cushion the said heel, said shank portion conforming to and supportinflr the longitudinal arch of the foot, when the heel portion is depressed.` y

6. A cushioning insole ofsoftandcompressible rubber for boots and shoes provided with heel and shank portions of substantial and uniform thickness, an interlnediate ball portion of substantially' the same thickness as the shank and heel portions, and a front portion extending forward from the front of the ball portion to the edges of the insole, said front portion tapering from the intermediate ball portion to the edge of the insole, said heel, shank and intermediate ball portions normaln ly having substantially Hat upper and lower l surfaces, and being of substantial and uniform thickness to enable the heel portion to b'e substantially depressed by the heel of the foot to cushion the said heel, said shank portion conforming to and supporting the longil tudinal arch of the foot when said heel portion is depressed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature.

MATIE C. MESSLER. 

